Trace and hame connection



(No Model.)

0. P. COBB.

TRAGE AND HAME GONNEGTION.

No. 826,546. Patented Sept. 22, 1885."

u. PETERS, Fnolo-Lithugnphcr, Washinghm. 0.x;

V UNITED STATES PATENT ()rrrce.

OLIVER P. COBB, OF AURORA, INDIANA.

TRACE AND HAME CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,546,- dated September 22,1885.

A pplicaiion filed May 10, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER- P. Gone, a resident of' the city of Aurora, in the county of Dearborn and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace and Hame Connections, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention, its several fea tures, and the advantages resulting from the use of such features, conjointly or otherwise, will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation (when in use) of the outer side of a hame and strap connection illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 represents a central longitudinal section of the same, taken through the dotted line or m of Fig. 1, and looking from above downward. Fig. 3 represents an elevation (when in use) of the outside of said hame and strap connection, the trace being removed. Fig. 4 represents aperspective of the device shown in Fig. 3, the buckle having been removed. Fig. 5 repre sents a central longitudinal section of the hame and trace connection, taken at the line as x of Fig. 1, but showing a certain modification of the means for automatically looking or retaining the buckle in its connection with the holder-hook.

The harness to which my invention is to be connected are of any suitable kind and configuration as regards every portion thereof but that which particularly relates to my invention.

As my improved connection between the hames andtraces is the same for each hame of a pair, adescription of myinvention in connection with one hame will suffice for a description of my invention as applied to'the other hame.

A indicates a hame. B is a brace welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the hame. This brace, at its outer end, is provided with two books, 0 0, preferably bent or turning outwardly from the brace, as shown. These hooks are preferably in one piece with the brace B. Where the buckle to be used is one of the com mon form, having a frame,D, carrying a crosspin or arbor. E, rigidly secured to the said frame, and having a tongue, F, whose eye G encircles the pin E and enables the tongue to (No model.)

play therein, or, where for any reason, the eye or equivalent portion of the tongue projects vide between the rear portions of the hooks O O and in the brace B a space, H, (viz., a slot or recess,) of sufficient width to allow of the eye portion G of the tongue playing freely therein, and to allow of the pin E, with the rest of the buckle, being removed from the hooks 00, as hereinafter mentioned. Where the buckle is not to be removable, the ends m m of the hooks O C, after the pin E has been inserted within their embrace, are turned down, and hold the pin tightly in position.

When the buckle is to be so connected to the hook as that the buckle can be fastened to or disengaged therefrom, a preferable means and mode of forming such connection will be as follows: The free ends in of the hook are sufficiently far from the brace to admit of the pin E of the buckle being passed between them and the brace in beingintroduced into the embrace of the hook, or in being removed therefrom. When the pin E has been introduced within the books 0, the trace or tug M is passed under the rear end of frame D of the buckle. The tongue is next passed through a hole in the trace, and the end of the trace is next passed under the forward end of frame D. The trace will now occupy the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. Ordinarilyth'e forward end of the trace will project somewhat beyond the front end of the buckle. In such event it becomes desirable to provide suitable means for holding such end close to the hame and brace, and a preferable means consists of the loop N, secured to the hame or brace. This loop N is preferably secured to the hame, and in the manner shownviz., by means of extensions it, each extension being riveted or otherwise secured to the hame. The front end of the trace is inserted into the loop.

Where the buckle is connected to the hooks O in such a manner as'to be capable of being united to or disengaged therefrom, some suitable device for securely retaining or looking the buckle in the hooks had best be employed. Preferred means for accomplishing this purpose are as follows: The ends m of the hooks are bent down. The pin E is formed at the sides of the tongue-eye G, when it (the pin) is in the book 0, so that in cross-section it is inward beyond the surface of the pin, I prowider in onedirection than in the direction at right angles thereto. (See Fig. 2.) Theextra width is so located with reference to the frame of the buckle that when the trace isinserted in the buckle, and is in the position which it occupies in use, the greatest width of the pin E will be at substantially right angles to the length of the trace. Thus the greatest width or siden of the pin will be presented at right angles to the openings between free ends of of the hooks and the brace or arm B. These openings will (where the pin E is thus formed) be only wide enough to allow the pin to pass between the ends of the hooks and the arm when the narrow edge S of the said pin is pre seated at the openings e, the side a. of the pin being substantially parallel to the arm. Consequently when the side n is at right angles,or substantially so, to the arm B, (as will be the case when the trace is upon the draft-animal,) the pin cannot come out from the embrace of the hooks G, and the buckle is securely ret ained in connection with the arm B.

When it is desired to disengage the buckle from the hooks O and arm B,the strapis withdrawn, and the buckle is turned so that the lower edge S of the pin E is presented at the rear end of the opening 0. and the pin E is passed out through the said opening, and the buckle is thus disengaged from the said hooks and arm B.

When it is desired to re-engage the buckle and the hooks,t-he buckle is turned so that the upper edge S of the pin E is presented at the front end of the opening e. The pin E is now passed through the opening 6 and within the hooks, and the trace is then conunected to the buckle. When the trace is in use, the position of the buckle is such that the side n of the pin is substantially at right angles to the arm B, and the buckle cannot be then disen gaged.

One desirable modification of the means for locking the buckle in the hook when the buckle is arranged to be readily separated from and united with the hook consists of the flat spring R, rigidly attached at or near one end of the arm B, and having its other end d bent or curved, as shown. Thus when the spring is in its normal position the ends d of the spring form a barrier to prevent the pin E from being withdrawn from the hooks C. When the spring is pressed down or aside, the pin E of the buckle can be readily withdrawn :from the hooks or inserted therein, and the buckle in this way removed from or attached to the arm B. In the event of using such a spring the plan of making the pin E wider in one direction than the other may be dispensed with, andthe pin be of equal cross diameter or thickness in every direction.

The slot H, if extended toward the hame, will afford a convenient recess in which the free end d of the spring B may work.

Among the numerous advantages resulting from the employment of my invention are the following, viz: The connection of the buckle directly to the arm B of the hamedoes away with the ordinary eye, shank, and shankleather. This eye, shank, and leather, which usually intervene between the trace-buckle and the hame, and which myimprovement enables me to dispense with, are the most costly part of the harness, the part most diflicult to construct and most expensive to keep in repair, as itis a combination of iron, leather, and copper rivets, requiring to be made by different workmen in different departments, one working the hot iron and the other the leather. Thread and wax also will last longer. When, in the last-named combination of eye, shank, and leather, the eye wears out or breaks, as is usually the case, the leather must be ripped back, the eye welded, and the leather then again sewed together. My invention dispenses with this expensive portion of the harness.

Should the buckle break or the pin E wear out, the buckle can be quickly replaced, and at slight expense. It may be here remarked that buckles having a frame and tongue such as shown, and a round cross-pin carrying said tongue, are sold in the market and to the trade, and are readily and cheaply procured. Such a buckle can (where the spring R is present) be employed without change, and where the spring is absent and the shape of the pin E (.viz., wider in one direction than in the other) is relied upon to retain the pin within the hooks in the manner aforementioned, the cross-pin which carries the tongue of such a buckle maybe filed on two opposite sides, thereby reducing the pin to the shape shown in Fig. 2. I

Should thetrace-buckle break at any time, another buckle of like description can be taken from another part 0f the harness and applied to the hooks O.

In case the springRis employed no change is required in the new buckle; but if the buckle is to be locked in place by the shape of its pin or pivot, as shown in Fig. 2, the pin or pivot E of the buckle can be readily and quickly filed to the desired shape.

The upright eye and pin, buckle, bolt, or screw that couples the hame, buckle, and trace, fitting next the collar and horses shoulder with a smooth surface, avoids wearing the collar and chafing the horse, which is not the case with any hame that has the trace coupled to the hame by an eye or link of chain at right angles with the hame, throwing the knuckle of the last-named eye or link against the collar, and, when the latter wears thin, then against the horses shoulder. In the common eye onthe hame or hame-bar as heretofore made the eye with shank or chain-link connects to the first-named eye, is not held in fixed position, as is done by my coupling, and

"hence has an up-anddown and side motion that keeps up a constant wearing, and is an annoyance to both horse and owner. My upright coupling fully remedies these defects without any additional cost on the hame, and,

in the case of leather traces, with a great saving in the construction of the trace, by doing away with the costly part of it.

One feature of my improvement is applicable to wagon-harness with chain tracesfor example, by substituting for the trace-buckle a long link to connect with the hook or hooks G of bar B. As the axis of the hook or hooks is vertical, this link will of necessity lie fiat and clear of the collar and horse, and hence will not wear the collar or chafe the horse.

It may be here remarked that the pin E may be attached to the frame D in a pivotal or any other suitable manner. Where required to be rigidlysecured thereto, it may be so secured by a screw-thread, riveting, welding, Ste.

My invention saves expense, simplifies the hame and trace connection.

The various features of my invention are preferably employed together. One or more of said features may be employed Without the remainder, and one or more of said features may, in so far as applicable, be employed in connection with devices other than those herein particularly described.

What I claim as new and of my invention,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the hame and the hook and trace buckle, the free end of the hook pointing forward and embracing the trace-buckle pin, the plane of the hook being substantially at right angles to the longitudiand buckle having frame D and tongue, and

pin E, embraced by the hook, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The hame having the bar B, provided with slot H, hook G, and opening 6, in combination with buckle provided with crosspins E, arranged to interlock with said hook, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The hame having bar B, providedwith slot H, hook orhooks O, and openings e, in combination with buckle provided with pin E, having narrow sides S and Widesides n, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. The hame having bar B, provided with slot H, hooks O, and openings 6, in combination with buckle provided with pin E, having narrow sides S and wide sides n, and loop N, and trace, substantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

' OLIVER P. COBB. Attest:

WALTER V. DENTON, JOHN W. ROBERTS. 

